InsightsfromtheMat

Over the last 20 years I have practiced or taught yoga.  It was never my sole focus but a piece of my fitness program.  I have decided to change that - I am embarking on a full time Yoga Journey .  In May I will begin my 500 hour yoga teacher certification.  My current plan is to explore different studios and yoga experiences.  I am going to document my path on my blog.   One of the unique places I that I have had a chance to practice is in the Denver Airport.   Yoga on the Fly  is located in Terminal A.   After selecting my sessions (I did 20 minutes of Vinyasa, 11 minutes of Standing Postures, and 10 minutes of Energy Balancing Meditation).  I was lead to a private mini studio.  The programs were great, the instruction was perfect for a beginner- non yogi.  The sessions use a Gridded Mat for posture placement.  The space was warm and inviting.  The sessions I choose were not har...

Open Water Dive  4 - This was awesome!   First time I was not nervous.  (This may be for many reasons, but the fact that we had been diving in the exact same spot every day, I think increased my confidence.)    First time I got to dive with a computer, YIPEE TECHNOLOGY!   First time I got to swim a compass pattern, since I love maps and sextons, this was really cool.  (I did notice I was obsessed with the compass and almost ran into the pier.)   Lesson to remember for that adventure dive.  I was able to set the safety stop.  I saw the world around me, and I enjoyed what I was doing.  (I am not going to lie the first 3 dives were work.  But hard work is the only way to progress in your skills.) I finally stopped using my hands to direct me.  My hands now have a place under my tank or holding on to my shorts (I am not perfect-lol) .  But they don't flail out in the water.  Bonus fo...

Day 2 - Dive 2 and 3 Thanksgiving Day- boy am I thankful for this opportunity.  Megan and I get a lot of - God, we love your life .  It is not perfect and we have problems, like everyone else, but as I was writing this post this blog spoke to why we do some of what we do.  Check it out if you are looking to add some adventure to your life.   Adventure forces us OUTSIDE our comfort zone. Troy-2017 We doubled up on my open water dives on Thanksgiving Day to give us more opportunities to explore Curacao as a larger group.  So Dive #2 - was the result of Troy.  He is the EXACT opposite of Sameer.  Troy is a joker and you should not believe half of what he says ( sorry Troy ).  He is, however, an incredible diver/instructor.  He gave me most of my written tests, and helped me to understand how to you manual dive tables.  This was something that did not come easy to me.  Hovering - or as Troy Calls it- Making Pancakes- 20...

I have now been in open water 4 times and I am PADI Certified.  I am NOT an expert, but this was my experience learning to dive.  I have to start with a shout out to  Caribbean Sea Sports .  The staff and dive instructors were amazing. First Under Water Experience - Curacao 2017   My primary instructor was Sameer.  He is wonderful.  He is quiet, calm, methodical.  All of which I needed.  I had some real anxiety before this trip.  My brain knows that the chances of getting eaten underwater are very small, however, fear is fear. My Dive Instructor Sameer 2017 The entire group went on my first dive.  Megan is already certified, Megan and Dan are not, but decided to give it a whirl.  They played in the lagoon.  Megan Z stated she was the best diver in 6 inches of water and I agree! Either good or bad, we had some equipment issues with my new equipment this trip.  It happens, and honestly that did more to ma...

Renaissance Aruba - 2017 We/I have been traveling, a lot.  Many have asked about our trips.  It feels like the first place to start is all the amazing companies and people that made it such a wonderful experience.  Don't worry, I plan to update everyone on my perceptions/experiences in getting my Dive Certification. I cannot say enough about the  Renaissance Aruba .  The hotel is beautiful, they have wonderful amenities, including their own private island with a flock of Pink Flamingos that you can feed. Renaissance Flamingos 2017- @MeganHeil Well worth the stop on the trip, in my opinion.  After a brief stop in Aruba we move to  Hilton Curacao .  My opinion on this property is mixed. Hilton Curacao-2017 The staff was wonderful, with lots of wonderful recommendations.  However, the service was SSLLLOOOWWW, and the property is dated.  It is definately, NOT, at the typical standards you experience at a Hilton in ei...

Juvenile Male White Shark 2014 Ok - so the obsession stared, in a book, in the midwest.  Actually it started with the story of the  USS Indianapolis, labeled as the worst shark attach in US history.    I was fascinated with the science not the horror of the event.  (I do not want to discount the horror and it is part of the reason it has taken 4 years to get my Scuba Certification.)  But when you read about how the sharks were attracted and why they attacked- and why they attack in general it all makes sense.  (At least to my scientific mind) So this midwestern girl, starts to study sharks and becomes OBSESSED.  Not being close to salt water- my obsession is not an issue.  After I graduated and moved to Washington, DC, things start to change.  But I am not in a place to sort through my issues/desires with the water.   Fast forward, I meet an amazing adrenaline junkie- with whom I fell in love- who is a certified diver....

BVI 2016 - Helm of Bear As kids, we believe that when we become adults, that we will get to do anything we want.  As adults, we realize that life was so much easier when we were kids.  As kids our "responsibilities and commitments" were so much less stressful.  Like so many people, life has not always gone as planned.  I have found myself in a many situations I would rather not . . "get through/survive".  But as adults, we put on our big girl panties and push on.  This fall has presented a lot of challenges, from personal, to professional, to environmental (Irma was no joke when it came to disruption and we were mostly spared).  I found myself more impacted by them than usual and in a bit of a funk.   The "icing on the cake" to this challenging fall was that our annual BVI sailing trip was canceled.  I look forward to this trip each year.  For me, it is the one time a year, I am guaranteed to do the thing I love most in th...